Whether you are looking to start your own shop or are just curious what small dealers pay for inventory, watch and learn. Large retailers and online sellers play …
For people who think LGS workers are mostly dicks, consider this:
If you're price shopping, then know what you want. If I went to my local grocer, or restaurateur, or mechanic, or realtor, or anyone else and spent an hour of their time asking about their trade or product and then just bought the same stuff online (amazon groceries, make my own meal that the chef taught me, fix my car from the free diagnostics, cut out the realtor who showed me 20 houses, etc), I'm a dick. But you don't generally do that. You just pay for their stuff. Imagine a guy goes to the Mexican restaurant and fills up on chips and water, watches the pay-per-view game, and then just leaves and tips 15% of a $0.00 bill. Same concept. Don't do that. So when you go to a LGS, IFFF you know what you want, then by all means ask them to match the price of someone else. I had a guy ask me to match PSA on a Shield. Out the door, if I matched, I'd make $2. I told him I'd gladly do the transfer for $25. Please ask me again next time.
On the other hand, a new(ish) customer came in and wants to get into reloading. We talked for an hour the first day. The second day (a week later), we talked again for an hour including most of that after hours since he came in right at close. He bought a reloading manual. He said he's about to get the press. We talked about presses and I told him I'd have it here in a just a day or two. He said, "Well, my wife said not to buy a press and I'll likely get one for Christmas." I said, "Great, send her in. I'll be happy to work with her." "Na, she's the kind of person that would just buy it online." "Okay! We have an online site too. Just go to our website and I'll get it in for her that way." He gave me the "she's going to buy it somewhere else online" look. "But I'll come in and buy powder and stuff from you," he says.
Hey, bud. Screw you. I'll make $3 on a pound of powder but the press seller will make nearly $100 selling your wife the press that you told her you want based on our conversations. I spent 2 hours already teaching you about reloading including after hours and I finally get a chance to make the big sale and she's going to purposely not buy it from me??
And you wonder why LGS shops have shitty attitudes. This story happens on average at least once per day. So, if you're going to use the local service, then buy local even if it costs more. If you're JUST price shopping and already know what you want, already know how it feels in your hand, already know how to clean it and break it down, etc., then feel free to ask the LGS to price match.
Of course, the alternative is that we dealers should take the real estate agent approach. The universal fee for selling a house is 6%. Maybe the universal transfer fee should just be $100. Buy whatever you want online. Since you're diminishing our revenue from sales, and you have to transfer it in, then we have to make money elsewhere like on transfers. So $100. Industry standard. And for the argument of "but it gets people in your store to do transfers," the guy doing transfers is also buying all of his other shit online. I bet only one out of ten transfer people actually buy anything else in the store when they come in. "You need ammo for that?" "Na, got 1000 rounds online already." Every day.
Honestly I never buy a gun less than 1000$, and because of that I hardly ever buy a gun from my local shop, because I'm usually saving 200+$. However I know that's not really where their money is anyway so I make sure for every online transfer I do to buy my accessories, and ammo from them since they are a good shop, and nice people. I'm about to get my machine shop together, and ffl, but have no intention on selling other people's guns unless I get a good deal on promotional pieces. I recommend every shop get their class 7 along with their 1,and 2 ffl.
so I want to get my 1,2 for gunsmithing, and 7 for manufacturing. I was wondering if dealers got any at all discounts on gun parts or 80% receivers. I mainly want this as a side business for gunsmithing, but want to also make my own guns to offer people. I have only found one site that offers bulk wholesale 80% 2011 receivers with a minimum of 200 at 40$ a piece. Does that sound about the same or has anyone looked into that?
Always shop local. I still go to the same gun shop my daddy went to when he was 18. He passed at the age of 49 sadly but the owner remembers me everytime i walk through the door!
Is it worth wild to have an ffl and only deal with friends and maybe a couple other people to order guns? Basically a home business but as a hobby for a very slight discount? Is there a membership fee for the online wholesaler/ distributors? Thanks.
I saved 80 bucks buying online. I went to alot of gunstores and they just charged waay to much. I wouldn't mind spending a little extra to support local but not that much.
I bought a small gun shop in may of 2019 you are correct it is fun but not a big money maker but as I am disabled it does give me something to do a few hours in the afternoon. I agree 100 % with what you have said in you video. I never thought that we would have anything at this time other than a fun way to help people out and enjoy my hobby. We are located in Iowa and I appreaciate you side on things. I watched it prior to buying the shop and just stumbled on it again. Do you and what do you use as a pos system ect id love to hear your opnion.
Wife and I were thinking about starting a place in Canada. There is only one LGS within a few hundred kilometers and everyone we speak to does not like going there because of a few staff so they end up either driving the couple hundred Kms to a better store or more likely buy online. We are thinking a home/store situation but you have me rethinking as 6% profit is not going to pay the bills. Gun ownership is exploding in Canada simply because it may all go away soon. The LGS that exists seems to be making the money on the courses that are mandatory for gun ownership. Where else can we make some cash to make this viable?
The Taurus 709 that you paid over $280 from a distributor can be bought online today for between $160-$170. If you're still in business, you should buy online and tack on $50. In your shoes, I would only stock guns that have been on the market for at least a couple of years to give prices a chance to come down. That way, you'd avoid stocking guns that are having early problems. You would also miss out on early adopters, but I sense that the majority of gun buyers buy the tried and true only after looking at several reviews on youtube, rather than the very latest.
This is golden information for new or aspiring FFL holders. This further convinces me that I'm not going to open my shop without having a gun range. The gun range will probably make most of my money. That said, I don't plan to do it for the money. I want to do it because I want to be in my own gun shop every day, talking to gun guys about guns.
This is the goal of big box stores, corporate America and the end game of capitalism its zero for anyone less than the biggest…this is what they have done to the small guy,,,drove him out, out, out…..hey man just sell more than a million bucks worth and we'll give you another 15% off now you can afford to feed your family ham and cheese instead of Bologna bwhahahahaha…. the business of guns is a joke,,the gov and manufacturers make all that money,,,we fund our own demise….I love guys in t-shirts with flags printed on them stacked at the gun store counter faux hawk to faux hawk wearing those ripped jeans with rhinestone pockets whining about the outrageous prices?? Then come on here and act sorry for you when it's their want for what they can't afford that's got you making $18.00 on gun sales…thanks for the dose of reality to those who live on the blue pill and run from the red….Ahhh the truth that lies
im all for supporting local buisness but if one dealer has a glock 19x for 650 and its $600 everywhere else, im gonna choose the dealer that has it for $600. I dont buy everything from my LGS because i work hard for my money and if i can get it cheaper online or during a big sale, im going to do that. I do still hit up my LGS for random things though and for certain firearms because after ordering a firearm online and paying shipping/transfer fees its going to be the same..most of the time.. unless its a huge sale.
I can barely make enough to pay the sales tax on the items. The only place I can market the guns is armslist.com, and I have to include sales tax in the selling price just to get any calls/emails.
I wish I could completely shop local but these local shops are pricing themselves out of business. I have 3 local shops that I do business with. Mainly one that that has the shop in their front yard and she’ll open any time for me. I’m a truck driver so normal business hours are tough for me. I only purchase new guns from them. I’m biting the dust on the new price but it’s my way of supporting them. For accessories no way I’m buying from her. Nice lady but for example I bought an M&P 15-22 from her. Same gun online for $300. I paid $450 by the time I left. She has spare mags hanging on the wall. Has them marked at $34.99 each. Go home and ordered them from gun mag warehouse for $12.99 a piece. I want to support local but I’m not a millionaire. Have to get the most I can for my money.
I know this and I agree 100%. I love my local shop and I will pay a little more to support them. That being said.. I cant pay a couple hundred more with is the case quite offen at this point.
None if the distributors you named will even work with a home based dealer. A small dealer is not going to get much more than a 10% mark up. I'm a gunsmith and dealer and there is alot more money in gunsmithing. Also civilians can buy ammo directly from an online stores with free shipping that is cheaper than most of us can buy it for at wholesale. You have to buy a hell of alot of guns and ammo to get a good enough price for it to really be worth it. An FFL dealer will spend 360$ for a case of 5.56. Marking it up 1$ per box will net you 50$ if you can even sale it 1$ higher than the next guy. 9mm will cost around 220+$ and a 1$ mark up just to stay competitive will only net you 20$. Accessories, transfers, and gunsmithing is what makes dealers any money worth talking about. Would you invest 360$ to get 50$ at best and you'll have to sit on that ammo until it is all bought up, plus in my state 8% goes to taxes. Building a network with people is the main benefit of being an FFL. Buying and cleaning up/repairing a gun is decent money but you don't know what you'll sink into it and what you will actually get for it after you've had it in stock for a good while. Its alot of work and calling on your network of collectors (which takes a long time to build up) just to see if they will take it off your hands. I had a special edition s&w stainless 5906 that is basically brand new and is in mint condition and I can't find a buyer for it, even though it's in its original box and has 4 magazines. Tons of police departments used these guns that were not the special edition. I never see them as police trade ins any more but it's still hard to sale despite being an amazingly clean example of these guns. Its not a business that you'll likely get rich in but you do get to know like minded gun peoole that you might get some used guns from. If I wasn't so physically Ill I'd still be a welder. Organ failure had me fall back on this because I can work at my pace and from home.
I've been an FFL for 5 years. what I learned is that there's not much money in selling new guns- unless you sell and buy lots of guns and qualify for manufacturer's package discounts (buy 10, get one free, etc.). New guns are selling for way under the suggested retail price. Guys now search the internet for the lowest price, purchase online, then have the guns transferred to a local FFL- that's the bulk of my business, and at $20 a transfer, you probably won't get rich doing that.
This seems crazy! The Ruger factory is in my little hometown. The employees all get guns at cost and they are allowed to get a certain amount (around 5) for friends and family each year. Ruger’s dealer cost is almost half of full retail price on every single gun. Of course dealers never sell them for full retail price unless they just came out or hard to get. My college roommate works for SIG which is close by and it’s the exact same way. Defiantly a nice perk for living in a small town with a gun factory or having a good friend or family member work there. It sounds like you can’t buy your guns direct from the factories at cost? If this is the case and these invoices you show are really what you pay as a dealer, the middle man (whoever that is) is super greedy and is really putting the shaft to dealers like yourself. The guy buying from the factory is making all the profit by a long shot and leaving you with no meat left. Pretty sad if this is the case
Most small retail businesses have the same problems. The average consumer has no understanding of how retail works, how much overhead costs, sales taxes, inventory taxes, etc. They can't understand why mark-ups exist. The "Customer is Always Right" attitude pervades most of our culture, even when the customer is wrong.
Found a sweet LWRC AR at an LGS for $1500. Checked online and found it for $1250. I'm all about supporting local but at that price differential it was a no-brainer for me.
My local gun store is way less costly on nearly everything sold at the big box stores. I can order what I want and they obviously make a very small percentage profit from filling out some paperwork and ordering a weapon for me from a distributor. I know he didn't make over 10 dollars on the 200 dollar gun I bought but was still about 40 dollars less than the big box guys at the mall.
So, I am with you…you don't like it when people don't understand the difference between small shop and big box retail. You are rolling capital and you are not losing money, right?
Same in Germany. As small FFL dealer you have about 8% profit. This barely pays your assurance, let alone FFL fees and storage possibilities. The big money is made at manufacturers and distributors. The dealer does the most work (dealing with customers in amazone-times…) and earns next to nothing. Even your local shooting clubs and friends who encoureged you to open a local business f*** you by shopping at the cheapest online dealer after consulting you for "free". My conclusion: you have to be an manufacturer or sole distributor in the gun business.
Not only should people do business with local suppliers , they should also be willing to pay a few bucks more for the ability to look at , handle , and not wait on shipping from an internet company…..
much rather deal with norfolk,va Bob's Gun Shop. an absolutely marvelous man, roaming all 3 floors of his 1/4 city block sporting goods store. occasional customer for 30 years. got a nice 6-shot spurless .45 backup from him– he asked me "what do you do for a living?" i told him dispatcher for navy hospital base police force. gave me LEO discount on everything i bought, holster, clip holder and all. This sort of good-neighbor is why i shop local (and not the local walmart). on-point video!
how much profit in transfer only business?? are there any costs for running the background or paperwork? or is it all profit? I'm considering starting my own but I would like to start with just transfer only so i dont have to concern with inventory or worry as much with break ins as its homebased
Allow me to tell you how our wonderful economy works. There are two areas of interest: the interest of the salesman, and the customer's best interest. The salesman wants to make the most amount of money for the least amount of product. That is their job and no one faults them for it. However, things get sticky when you find out that the CUSTOMER'S job is to get the most amount of product for the least amount of money. That YOUR job. You would be a bad customer if you did not go into any business without that attitude.
This is how the economy really works, and it couldn't give a flying pig dick if you are a giant box store or a tiny mom-n-pop mercantile. If business isn't so good for the little guy then the little guy needs to either figure out how to make it work or pick another career. Walmart didn't start out with over six thousand stores nationwide. They DID, however, figure out how to get to 6000 stores. Some win, some lose. Such is life. It's harsh, but no one said life was easy.
Transfer fees add up and hey if you got someone who is always buying online that’s a fee for ever purchase so I’ll say it’ll be a good idea to allow some people to have there products shipped to you so you can at least get money that you never spent ;D 🤙🏼 the FFL I go to charges 40 bucks. I also got my first shotgun from him a mav 88 I paid about 300+ for a 100-200 shotgun that I could’ve got els where but big store like Walmart and the horrible Dicks don’t honor the 3 day delay for Delay background check! So if you get delayed for some reason don’t EVER expect to get your rifle or shotgun BY big chain stores!! local is the way to go.
3 years later…
For people who think LGS workers are mostly dicks, consider this:
If you're price shopping, then know what you want. If I went to my local grocer, or restaurateur, or mechanic, or realtor, or anyone else and spent an hour of their time asking about their trade or product and then just bought the same stuff online (amazon groceries, make my own meal that the chef taught me, fix my car from the free diagnostics, cut out the realtor who showed me 20 houses, etc), I'm a dick. But you don't generally do that. You just pay for their stuff. Imagine a guy goes to the Mexican restaurant and fills up on chips and water, watches the pay-per-view game, and then just leaves and tips 15% of a $0.00 bill. Same concept. Don't do that. So when you go to a LGS, IFFF you know what you want, then by all means ask them to match the price of someone else. I had a guy ask me to match PSA on a Shield. Out the door, if I matched, I'd make $2. I told him I'd gladly do the transfer for $25. Please ask me again next time.
On the other hand, a new(ish) customer came in and wants to get into reloading. We talked for an hour the first day. The second day (a week later), we talked again for an hour including most of that after hours since he came in right at close. He bought a reloading manual. He said he's about to get the press. We talked about presses and I told him I'd have it here in a just a day or two. He said, "Well, my wife said not to buy a press and I'll likely get one for Christmas." I said, "Great, send her in. I'll be happy to work with her." "Na, she's the kind of person that would just buy it online." "Okay! We have an online site too. Just go to our website and I'll get it in for her that way." He gave me the "she's going to buy it somewhere else online" look. "But I'll come in and buy powder and stuff from you," he says.
Hey, bud. Screw you. I'll make $3 on a pound of powder but the press seller will make nearly $100 selling your wife the press that you told her you want based on our conversations. I spent 2 hours already teaching you about reloading including after hours and I finally get a chance to make the big sale and she's going to purposely not buy it from me??
And you wonder why LGS shops have shitty attitudes. This story happens on average at least once per day. So, if you're going to use the local service, then buy local even if it costs more. If you're JUST price shopping and already know what you want, already know how it feels in your hand, already know how to clean it and break it down, etc., then feel free to ask the LGS to price match.
Of course, the alternative is that we dealers should take the real estate agent approach. The universal fee for selling a house is 6%. Maybe the universal transfer fee should just be $100. Buy whatever you want online. Since you're diminishing our revenue from sales, and you have to transfer it in, then we have to make money elsewhere like on transfers. So $100. Industry standard. And for the argument of "but it gets people in your store to do transfers," the guy doing transfers is also buying all of his other shit online. I bet only one out of ten transfer people actually buy anything else in the store when they come in. "You need ammo for that?" "Na, got 1000 rounds online already." Every day.
Honestly I never buy a gun less than 1000$, and because of that I hardly ever buy a gun from my local shop, because I'm usually saving 200+$. However I know that's not really where their money is anyway so I make sure for every online transfer I do to buy my accessories, and ammo from them since they are a good shop, and nice people. I'm about to get my machine shop together, and ffl, but have no intention on selling other people's guns unless I get a good deal on promotional pieces. I recommend every shop get their class 7 along with their 1,and 2 ffl.
so I want to get my 1,2 for gunsmithing, and 7 for manufacturing. I was wondering if dealers got any at all discounts on gun parts or 80% receivers. I mainly want this as a side business for gunsmithing, but want to also make my own guns to offer people. I have only found one site that offers bulk wholesale 80% 2011 receivers with a minimum of 200 at 40$ a piece. Does that sound about the same or has anyone looked into that?
Always shop local. I still go to the same gun shop my daddy went to when he was 18. He passed at the age of 49 sadly but the owner remembers me everytime i walk through the door!
How much do you save if you were to buy 10 Glocks at once?
Support the small guys folks.
Is it worth wild to have an ffl and only deal with friends and maybe a couple other people to order guns? Basically a home business but as a hobby for a very slight discount? Is there a membership fee for the online wholesaler/ distributors? Thanks.
I deal in firearms and ghostvendors com are the best dealers i know .I get my guns from em and they have never failed me .
I saved 80 bucks buying online. I went to alot of gunstores and they just charged waay to much. I wouldn't mind spending a little extra to support local but not that much.
Thanks for being so open.
I bought a small gun shop in may of 2019 you are correct it is fun but not a big money maker but as I am disabled it does give me something to do a few hours in the afternoon. I agree 100 % with what you have said in you video. I never thought that we would have anything at this time other than a fun way to help people out and enjoy my hobby. We are located in Iowa and I appreaciate you side on things. I watched it prior to buying the shop and just stumbled on it again. Do you and what do you use as a pos system ect id love to hear your opnion.
You need to find some cheaper wholesalers. Why the hell is the sw sport that expensive
Well , never mind. Thanks haha
Dang!!!
Wife and I were thinking about starting a place in Canada. There is only one LGS within a few hundred kilometers and everyone we speak to does not like going there because of a few staff so they end up either driving the couple hundred Kms to a better store or more likely buy online. We are thinking a home/store situation but you have me rethinking as 6% profit is not going to pay the bills. Gun ownership is exploding in Canada simply because it may all go away soon. The LGS that exists seems to be making the money on the courses that are mandatory for gun ownership. Where else can we make some cash to make this viable?
Your problem is you’re not buying in bulk so you’re not getting any deals.
What about paperwork on top?
You need a niche, trying to sell the popular models is swimming up stream.
I feel like "buy locally" has become the new "don't smoke" or "beware global warming"
How much do gunsmiths make?
Curious what you pay right now per box of 20 of Federal American Eagle Tactical 223 Remington Ammo 55 Grain Full Metal Jacket
The Taurus 709 that you paid over $280 from a distributor can be bought online today for between $160-$170. If you're still in business, you should buy online and tack on $50. In your shoes, I would only stock guns that have been on the market for at least a couple of years to give prices a chance to come down. That way, you'd avoid stocking guns that are having early problems. You would also miss out on early adopters, but I sense that the majority of gun buyers buy the tried and true only after looking at several reviews on youtube, rather than the very latest.
You would not stay in business point blank!
Yeah but your getting a 4 % return and not losing money's
This is golden information for new or aspiring FFL holders. This further convinces me that I'm not going to open my shop without having a gun range. The gun range will probably make most of my money. That said, I don't plan to do it for the money. I want to do it because I want to be in my own gun shop every day, talking to gun guys about guns.
This is the goal of big box stores, corporate America and the end game of capitalism its zero for anyone less than the biggest…this is what they have done to the small guy,,,drove him out, out, out…..hey man just sell more than a million bucks worth and we'll give you another 15% off now you can afford to feed your family ham and cheese instead of Bologna bwhahahahaha…. the business of guns is a joke,,the gov and manufacturers make all that money,,,we fund our own demise….I love guys in t-shirts with flags printed on them stacked at the gun store counter faux hawk to faux hawk wearing those ripped jeans with rhinestone pockets whining about the outrageous prices?? Then come on here and act sorry for you when it's their want for what they can't afford that's got you making $18.00 on gun sales…thanks for the dose of reality to those who live on the blue pill and run from the red….Ahhh the truth that lies
im all for supporting local buisness but if one dealer has a glock 19x for 650 and its $600 everywhere else, im gonna choose the dealer that has it for $600. I dont buy everything from my LGS because i work hard for my money and if i can get it cheaper online or during a big sale, im going to do that. I do still hit up my LGS for random things though and for certain firearms because after ordering a firearm online and paying shipping/transfer fees its going to be the same..most of the time.. unless its a huge sale.
Great information and perspective. Much appreciated
I can barely make enough to pay the sales tax on the items. The only place I can market the guns is armslist.com, and I have to include sales tax in the selling price just to get any calls/emails.
I wish I could completely shop local but these local shops are pricing themselves out of business. I have 3 local shops that I do business with. Mainly one that that has the shop in their front yard and she’ll open any time for me. I’m a truck driver so normal business hours are tough for me. I only purchase new guns from them. I’m biting the dust on the new price but it’s my way of supporting them. For accessories no way I’m buying from her. Nice lady but for example I bought an M&P 15-22 from her. Same gun online for $300. I paid $450 by the time I left. She has spare mags hanging on the wall. Has them marked at $34.99 each. Go home and ordered them from gun mag warehouse for $12.99 a piece. I want to support local but I’m not a millionaire. Have to get the most I can for my money.
I know this and I agree 100%. I love my local shop and I will pay a little more to support them. That being said.. I cant pay a couple hundred more with is the case quite offen at this point.
None if the distributors you named will even work with a home based dealer. A small dealer is not going to get much more than a 10% mark up. I'm a gunsmith and dealer and there is alot more money in gunsmithing. Also civilians can buy ammo directly from an online stores with free shipping that is cheaper than most of us can buy it for at wholesale. You have to buy a hell of alot of guns and ammo to get a good enough price for it to really be worth it. An FFL dealer will spend 360$ for a case of 5.56. Marking it up 1$ per box will net you 50$ if you can even sale it 1$ higher than the next guy. 9mm will cost around 220+$ and a 1$ mark up just to stay competitive will only net you 20$. Accessories, transfers, and gunsmithing is what makes dealers any money worth talking about. Would you invest 360$ to get 50$ at best and you'll have to sit on that ammo until it is all bought up, plus in my state 8% goes to taxes. Building a network with people is the main benefit of being an FFL. Buying and cleaning up/repairing a gun is decent money but you don't know what you'll sink into it and what you will actually get for it after you've had it in stock for a good while. Its alot of work and calling on your network of collectors (which takes a long time to build up) just to see if they will take it off your hands. I had a special edition s&w stainless 5906 that is basically brand new and is in mint condition and I can't find a buyer for it, even though it's in its original box and has 4 magazines. Tons of police departments used these guns that were not the special edition. I never see them as police trade ins any more but it's still hard to sale despite being an amazingly clean example of these guns. Its not a business that you'll likely get rich in but you do get to know like minded gun peoole that you might get some used guns from. If I wasn't so physically Ill I'd still be a welder. Organ failure had me fall back on this because I can work at my pace and from home.
I've been an FFL for 5 years. what I learned is that there's not much money in selling new guns- unless you sell and buy lots of guns and qualify for manufacturer's package discounts (buy 10, get one free, etc.). New guns are selling for way under the suggested retail price. Guys now search the internet for the lowest price, purchase online, then have the guns transferred to a local FFL- that's the bulk of my business, and at $20 a transfer, you probably won't get rich doing that.
This seems crazy! The Ruger factory is in my little hometown. The employees all get guns at cost and they are allowed to get a certain amount (around 5) for friends and family each year. Ruger’s dealer cost is almost half of full retail price on every single gun. Of course dealers never sell them for full retail price unless they just came out or hard to get. My college roommate works for SIG which is close by and it’s the exact same way. Defiantly a nice perk for living in a small town with a gun factory or having a good friend or family member work there. It sounds like you can’t buy your guns direct from the factories at cost? If this is the case and these invoices you show are really what you pay as a dealer, the middle man (whoever that is) is super greedy and is really putting the shaft to dealers like yourself. The guy buying from the factory is making all the profit by a long shot and leaving you with no meat left. Pretty sad if this is the case
Most small retail businesses have the same problems. The average consumer has no understanding of how retail works, how much overhead costs, sales taxes, inventory taxes, etc. They can't understand why mark-ups exist. The "Customer is Always Right" attitude pervades most of our culture, even when the customer is wrong.
Found a sweet LWRC AR at an LGS for $1500. Checked online and found it for $1250. I'm all about supporting local but at that price differential it was a no-brainer for me.
My local gun store is way less costly on nearly everything sold at the big box stores. I can order what I want and they obviously make a very small percentage profit from filling out some paperwork and ordering a weapon for me from a distributor. I know he didn't make over 10 dollars on the 200 dollar gun I bought but was still about 40 dollars less than the big box guys at the mall.
So, I am with you…you don't like it when people don't understand the difference between small shop and big box retail. You are rolling capital and you are not losing money, right?
Same in Germany. As small FFL dealer you have about 8% profit. This barely pays your assurance, let alone FFL fees and storage possibilities.
The big money is made at manufacturers and distributors. The dealer does the most work (dealing with customers in amazone-times…) and earns next to nothing.
Even your local shooting clubs and friends who encoureged you to open a local business f*** you by shopping at the cheapest online dealer after consulting you for "free".
My conclusion: you have to be an manufacturer or sole distributor in the gun business.
Liked the video can you send me a list of distributors I'm just starting on my ffl process
I've been a small FFL for 25 years and agree with your assessment 100%
Not only should people do business with local suppliers , they should also be willing to pay a few bucks more for the ability to look at , handle , and not wait on shipping from an internet company…..
Maybe not a fortune but well worth the experience
Lord of War taught me differently. 🙁
much rather deal with norfolk,va Bob's Gun Shop. an absolutely marvelous man, roaming all 3 floors of his 1/4 city block sporting goods store. occasional customer for 30 years. got a nice 6-shot spurless .45 backup from him– he asked me "what do you do for a living?" i told him dispatcher for navy hospital base police force. gave me LEO discount on everything i bought, holster, clip holder and all. This sort of good-neighbor is why i shop local (and not the local walmart). on-point video!
Business is not your thing
how much profit in transfer only business?? are there any costs for running the background or paperwork? or is it all profit? I'm considering starting my own but I would like to start with just transfer only so i dont have to concern with inventory or worry as much with break ins as its homebased
This is such bullshit.
Allow me to tell you how our wonderful economy works. There are two areas of interest: the interest of the salesman, and the customer's best interest. The salesman wants to make the most amount of money for the least amount of product. That is their job and no one faults them for it.
However, things get sticky when you find out that the CUSTOMER'S job is to get the most amount of product for the least amount of money. That YOUR job. You would be a bad customer if you did not go into any business without that attitude.
This is how the economy really works, and it couldn't give a flying pig dick if you are a giant box store or a tiny mom-n-pop mercantile. If business isn't so good for the little guy then the little guy needs to either figure out how to make it work or pick another career. Walmart didn't start out with over six thousand stores nationwide. They DID, however, figure out how to get to 6000 stores. Some win, some lose. Such is life. It's harsh, but no one said life was easy.
I usually buy from local regardless, im too impatient to wait for shipping plus i like to feel the gun before i buy.
Transfer fees add up and hey if you got someone who is always buying online that’s a fee for ever purchase so I’ll say it’ll be a good idea to allow some people to have there products shipped to you so you can at least get money that you never spent ;D 🤙🏼 the FFL I go to charges 40 bucks. I also got my first shotgun from him a mav 88 I paid about 300+ for a 100-200 shotgun that I could’ve got els where but big store like Walmart and the horrible Dicks don’t honor the 3 day delay for Delay background check! So if you get delayed for some reason don’t EVER expect to get your rifle or shotgun BY big chain stores!! local is the way to go.